Increasing Confidence, General Physical Preparedness &
Academic Performance

By: Therin Smith & an interview with CrossFit Kid, Morgan

The goal of the Crossfit Kids Program is to help kids individually develop healthy habits for life and recognize how good choices can make them feel. The Program promotes fitness through fun activities like relays and games. It has the power to increase a kid's self confidence, motor skills, development, and can make them smarter.

Morgan, a CrossFit Kid, is a tremendous role model for other kids through her relentless self-discipline, contagious motivation, and her selfless empathy for others. She pushes hard every day and never complains. Morgan has accomplished great feats this year due to all of this hard work!

Our schools are pressing harder in academic areas and taking away time from physical activity. In a recent CrossFit Kids journal questions were raised on the correlation between kid's physical fitness and academic performance. “Could it be that the alarming declines in student health AND academic performance are both due to the lack of physical education? And, on the flip side, could restoring physical education to schools help restore America’s standing in the classroom?”

This particular journal showcased a recent study to find an answer to such questions.

The Study:
"The treatment group in this study consisted of twenty second-grade students from King Chavez Primary
Academy (KCPA). KCPA is a three-year-old charter school in the Stockton/Barrio Logan area of San Diego. The composition of the treatment group was 13 boys and seven girls. 90% of the participants in the treatment group were English Language Learners. 5% of those same participants had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), meaning they fell under the umbrella of special education. 100% of the students were living below the
poverty line. The variable in this research project was the implementation of the fitness program known as CrossFit Kids. Students participated in a variety of workouts for at least 30 minutes every day of the week, while other classes received 50 minutes of PE every six weeks."

The Results:
"100% of the students in the treatment group scored “proficient” or “advanced” in mathematics. This was an achievement that, to date, had never been accomplished in mathematics at that school. This score was up 15% from the previous year, in which 85% scored “proficient” or “advanced” in mathematics. In English Language Arts, 36% of the students scored “proficient” or “advanced”, a 12% rise from the previous year. This enormous increase in achievement in the core subjects was accomplished despite the fact that students were out of the classroom and away from direct instruction for 30 minutes a day in order to take part in the CrossFit Kids workout of the day."

"Additionally, at the end of the program, students were given attitude surveys regarding their experience in the program, as well as their feelings towards exercising at school. 100% of the participants
said they would like to continue CrossFit Kids the following year. 100% of the participants reported that they have changed the types of food they snack on as a result of participating in this project."

Morgan joined CrossFit Kids 7 months ago. She takes on the CrossFit Kids workouts and has learned that fitness is fun!

An Interview with Morgan:

What is Crossfit Kids?
“It’s a fun program that helps kids achieve a more active lifestyle. It’s a fun way to get more fit and healthy through games and activities.”

Why do you participate in Crossfit Kids?
“My goals from the beginning were to get healthier. I also wanted to feel better. I have noticed that since I have been doing Crossfit Kids that I have improved in all of the sports that I participate. Basketball has gotten so much better because I have noticed that I am up and down the court so much easier!”

My favorite parts of Crossfit Kids...
“I like the workout called the “Minute of Doom”, my group has set the record of 13 rounds! I also like the exhilarating feeling that I get when we are done that I have done something difficult and my muscles are sore. It just feels good!”

Who should be in Crossfit Kids?
“Everyone seeking a healthy lifestyle!” All kids that are in sports and those that do not really play that many sports, should do this. It is a place where everyone can feel strong and fast!

Morgan is also involved in volleyball, basketball, horseback riding, swimming, and is a straight A student. She pushes hard every day and never complains. She has accomplished great feats this year.

The CrossFit Kids program is designed to instill habits of health and wellness, fitness, team-work, and self-confidence in every single participant. The goal of CrossFit Kids is to help these kids individually develop healthy habits for life. It is fun to see the weight come off, but more importantly it is wonderful to see how all of the kids are maturing in the way that they view themselves and their abilities. This is just one story of many impressive CrossFit Central Kids! CrossFit Central is proud to offer two different programs for kids, CrossFit Kids which is for overall physical activity and wellness for all skill levels and Power Plant which is aimed at the athlete looking to get more sport specific intensive training.

About Therin Smith:
Therin Smith was an elementary teacher who saw the dire need for more physical exercise and the lack of healthy habits in today's children. She had been doing Crossfit for years and decided that our community was missing this element. "My goal is teach kids to make their health a priority in a world that seems to be teaching them the opposite. I aim to reach all types of kids, with varied workouts, by asking them to challenge themselves. This type of program is different than what most have been through before. We work on getting faster, stronger, more flexible, becoming better team players, and on building positive self-images. I want them to leave each workout feeling like they overcame a challenge, were part of a team, with a great sense of accomplishment. We have fun and we play, but we also work hard."

Contact Therin: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Find Out More about Therin: http://therinsmith.blogspot.com/